Portable vibrating machine



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attorney Patented Sept. 29 1931 LESTER c. GUNDERMAN, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA PORTABLE VI RATING MACHINE Application filed January 29, 1929. Serial No. 335,862.

My invention is an improvement in machinesemployed in the promotion of health,

and relatesmore especially to machines or appliances of this general type in which different parts of the body are manipulated or subjected to health' exercises by appliances operated by a" motor and to which are imparted a vibratory motion to massage or agitate the muscles and other parts of the body that may be benefited by treatment of this kind, such machines being'n'ow com monly used in connection with a band or belt placed about the be manipulated.

-The primary object of my inventionisto provide a machine of this general character of simple, compact and durable construction to include motor driven appliances usable in connection with a belt to which dif- -ferent degrees of vibration may be imparted and having vibratory plates which may be used not only for thepurposeof massaging and otherwise treating the feet but also susceptibleof use inma'nipulating other parts of the body.

i A further object ofmy invention is to provide a portable machine of this type wvhich may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost, will be effective in' operation, and not liable to get out of order, and being portable may beplaced upon a table or upon the floor according to the diflerent uses to which itis put or exercises undertaken according to the manipulation or massaging desired.

With these principal objects in view my invention consistsof appliances associated with an electric motor supported on a suitable flat base, the said appliances comprising pivoted bars suspended from inclined uprights rising from the base and connected to the motor bypitman rods, said bars each having a series of hooks spaced'from the pivot point. toreceive the usual belt for varying the degree of vibration according to the hooks engaged by the belt,ltogether with horizontal plates supported between standards on the base and connected by links to the aforesaid bars for imparting a vibratory motion to said'plates," and means by part of the body to which the machine may be anchored, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure l is a side elevation of a" health machine constructed in accordance with'my invention, showing one form of means for vibrating the plates from the suspended bars to which the belt is applied. V

' Fig. 2-is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a modification of the arrangement for supporting theplates' and connecting the same to the suspended bars. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3'. Fig.5 is a plan view, and

Fig. 6 is a modification of'themeans for operating the plates; 1'

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention I emplo an ordinary type of electric motor 10, bolted to a base 11 preferably of rectangular shape and of a convenient size to support said motor and other parts of the machine. Bolted to the'baseaton'e end thereof and at opposite sides of the motor to incline slightly outwardly therefrom are u rights 12 at the upper ends of which are ormed tubular bearings 13, said, uprights being referablyconnected at their lower ends by a plate 14 through which the bolts 15 pass into the base for rigidly securing said u rights in place and are braced near their upper ends by acrosspiece 16. Suspended from the upper ends of the uprights so as ftohave a swinging or oscillating movement are flatbarsl? also provided with tubular bearings lSby which they are. pivoted on pins 19 to the bearings 13, and at their lower "ends these bars are each formed with tubular bearings 20 for connecting thereto itman rods 21 driven from the motor 10 for-which purposesaid pitman rods, at opposite sides of the machine, are connected carry upstanding hooks 25, those on each bar being spaced at intervals from the upper or pivot end, as shown in the drawings, whereby the degree of vibration of the belt (not shown) ordinarily used in connection with machines of this kind may be varied according to the hooks engaged by said belt. As will be obvious a vibratory motion is imparted to the suspended bars 17 by the pitman connection to the lower ends thereof and the extent of vibratory movement of the belt used in connection with the machine will depend upon the hooks to which it is attacheda slight vibrating motion being transmitted by connecting said belt to the upper hooks and a maximum vibrating motion by connection with the lower hooks. In order that the machine may have a greater scope of operation in manipulating or massaging parts of the body I provide plates 262(3 at the rear end of the machine, adapted to have a vibrating motion, and supported at the upper ends of vertical plates 27 which may be centrally pivoted as shown in Fig. 1 or at their lower ends as shown in. Fig. 3 with link connections to the suspended bars 17 as hereinafter de scribed. The plates 26 are slightly curved in the arc of a circle so as to adapt them for the particular uses for which they are intended, and are provided with integral members 28 on their undersides by which they are connected by bolts 29 to the upper horizontal members 30 of the plates 27, these last mentioned plates and upper members thereof being braced by lateral flanges 31. As shown in Fig. l the supporting plates 27 are pivoted intermediate their ends on pivot pins 32 at the upper ends of spaced apart standards 33 rising from the base 11, and in this instance tubular bearings 34 at the lower ends of said supporting plates are provided for connecting the links 35 thereto which extend to the supporting bars 17, said links being curved away from the pitman wheels 23 and the connections to the aforesaid suspended bars being by means of hub-bearings 36 and 37 on the links and .bars respectively, similar hub-bearings 38 forming a direct connection with the tubular bearings 34, the pivot 39 extending through the bearings as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the supporting plates 27 are pivoted at their lower ends on pins 40 to bearing ears 46 projecting upwardly from the base plate, and in this instance straight links .42 are used for operating the plates from the swinging arms 17, said plates being connected to the links by hub-bearings 43 and formed on the link and plate respectively to receive a pivot pin 44.

.-As the machine is portable so that it may be placed on a table when the upper part of the body. is, being manipulated by a belt engaging the hooks projecting from the vibrating bars or arms 17 at the front end thereof the rear end of the base plate is provided with upwardly projecting posts 47 to which a strap may be attached for securing the machine against forward movement when a pull is exerted on the belt, but of courseother means may be employed for securing it in place.

The construction and operation of my machine for massaging or manipulating diifer ent parts of the human body will be readily understood for the belt commonly used with machines of this kind is attached to the hooks, either at one or both ends of said belt according to the exercises to be undertaken, and a vibrating motion imparted to the depending arms through the instrumentality of the pitlnan connection with the motor will transmit a vibratory motion to said belt, the degree of vibration being regulated by engaging the belt with a desired hook close to or removed from the pivots of said arms, or a vibratory motion may be imparted to the arms of the operator by grasping the hooks. Of course various exercises or manipulations may be obtained to the same extent as with other machines of a similar character, in this instance the suspended arms and particular manner of vibrating the same providing an effective arrangement as well as a strong and durable construction. The vibrating plates may be used for massaging the feet by resting them on said plates, and in this instance the machine is placed on the floor and the operator seated in a chair. By providing the plates with plain surfaces and curving them only slightly the lower part of the body may be massaged or manipulated by the operator sitting on the plates, this massaging or inanipulation increasing the circulation at this part of the body and in addition to exercising the muscles in the vicinity of the hipsv will also increase circulation of the blood and benefit the operator with respect to co"- tain diseases, as piles. A single plate may be used in place of a pair of plates the link connections between said plates and the depending arms at the forward end of the machine move them in unison, and of course when two plates are employed they are located close together.

The parts may be modified as to form of construction as well as with respect to the connections for operating the vibrating appliances from the motor, as for instance in Fig. 6 instead of employing a link for vibrating the plates from the pivoted bars 17 the connection may be made directly to the motor by link 50 driven directly from the motor shaft 24 by cam 51 and connected to the pivot 44 on the uprights supporting the plate or plates, said link having a ring 52 in which the cam works. Other modifications or changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable vibrating machine for manipulating different parts of the human body comprising a motor mounted on a supporting base, uprights secured to and rising from the front end of the base, arms pivoted to said uprights for swinging movement, and pitman connections between the outer ends of the arms and motor; together with bearings at the rear end of the machine, vertical 7 P nipulating different parts of the humanbody comprising a motor mounted on a supporting base, bearings rlslng from the base, vertical plates pivoted at their lowerends to connecting the supporting plates to the armsthe bearings and having lateral reinforcing flanges, slightly curved horizontal plates secured to the upper ends of the vertical plates, and means for imparting a vibratory motion to the plates from the motor.

3. A portable vibrating machine for manipulating different parts of the human body comprising a motor mounted on a supporting base, uprights secured to and rising from the base at the forward end thereof, arms pivoted at one end to said uprights, and pitman connections between the outer ends of the arms and motor; together with bearings rising from the base at the rear end of the machine, vertical plates pivoted in said bearings and carrying horizontal plates at their upper ends, and link connections between the vertical plates and arms for vibrating the horizontal plates carried by said vertical plates.

4. A; portable vibrating machine for manip ulating different parts of the human body comprising a motor mounted on a supporting base, uprights rising from the base at the forward end of the machine, arms pivoted at one end to said uprights, and pitman connections between the outer ends of of the machine, vertical supporting plates pivoted in said bearings and having upper horizontal members integral therewith and braced thereto by lateral flanges, horizontal plates secured to said members, and links for vibrating said supporting plates as well as the horizontal plates carried thereby.

5. A portable vibrating machine for manipulating different parts of the human body, comprising a motor mounted on a supporting base, uprights rising from the base at the forward end of the machine, arms pivoted at one end to said uprights for swinging movement thereon, a pitman wheel mounted on the shaft of the motor, and a pitman rod connecting the pitman wheel to the outer ends of the arms supports pivoted on the base at the rear end thereof, horizontal plates mounted on said supports for vibrating movement, and means connecting the swinging arms to the pivoted supports for the horizontal plates for vibrating the latter.

6. A portable vibrating machine for manipulating different parts of the human body comprising a motor mounted on a supporting base, uprights rising from the base at the forward end of the machine, arms pivoted at oneend to said uprights, and pitman connections between the outer ends of the arms and the motor; together with horizontal plates having depending members pivoted at their lower ends in bearings on the base, and links connected to the upper ends of said members and to the arms.

7. A portable vibrating machine for ma, nipulating different parts of the human'body comprising a motor mounted on a supporting base, uprights rising from the base at the forward end of the machine, arms pivoted at their upper ends to said uprights, and pitman connections between the outer ends of the arms and the motor; together with vertical plates having. upper horizontal members and lateral reinforcing flanges, bearings on the base, hub-bearings at the lower ends of the vertical plates for pivotally connecting said vertical plates to the aforesaid bearings, and horizontal plates secured to the upper ends of the vertical plates.

8. A portable vibrating machine for manipulating different parts of the human body comprising a motor mounted on a supporting base, uprights rising from the base to form supports at one side of the motor, arms pivoted to the uprights at the opposite .ends thereof, horizontal plates pivoted to LESTEB C. GUNDERMAN. 

